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Taurine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of proteins. Found in the nervous system and muscles, taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body. It is thought to help regulate heartbeat, maintain cell membranes, and affect the release of neurotransmitters (chemicals that carry signals between nerve cells) in the brain.

Sources

There is no dietary requirement for taurine, since the body can make it out of
vitamin B
6
and the amino acids
methionine
and cysteine. Deficiencies occasionally occur in vegetarians, whose diets may not provide the building blocks for making taurine.

People with diabetes have lower-than-average blood levels of taurine, but whether this means they should take extra taurine is unclear.

Meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and fish are good sources of taurine. Legumes and nuts don't contain taurine, but they do contain methionine and cysteine.

Therapeutic Dosages

A typical therapeutic dosage of taurine is 2 g 3 times daily.

Therapeutic Uses

Preliminary evidence suggests that taurine might be helpful in
congestive heart failure
(CHF), a condition in which the heart has trouble pumping blood, which leads to fluid accumulating in the legs and lungs.
1Warning
: Keep in mind that CHF is too serious for self-treatment. If you're interested in trying taurine or any other supplement for CHF, you should first consult your doctor.

There is also some evidence that taurine may be helpful for acute
viral hepatitis
.
2

What Is the Scientific Evidence for Taurine?

Congestive Heart Failure

Several studies (primarily by one research group) suggest that taurine may be useful for
congestive heart failure
. For example, in one
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
, 58 people with CHF took either placebo or 2 g of taurine 3 times daily for 4 weeks.
8
Then the groups were switched. During taurine treatment, the study participants showed highly significant improvement in breathlessness, heart palpitations, fluid buildup, and heart x-ray, as well as standard scales of heart failure severity.
Animal research
as well as small blinded or
open
studies in humans have also found positive effects.
9-13
Interestingly, one very small study compared taurine with another supplement commonly used for congestive heart failure,
coenzyme Q
10
. The results suggest that taurine is more effective.
14

Viral Hepatitis

There are several viruses that can cause acute
viral hepatitis
, a disabling and sometimes dangerous infection of the liver. The most common are hepatitis A and B, although there are others (with such imaginative names as C and D).

One double-blind study suggests that taurine supplements might be useful for acute viral hepatitis. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 63 people with hepatitis were given either 12 g of taurine daily or placebo.
15
(The report does not state what type of viral hepatitis they had.) According to blood tests, the taurine group experienced significant improvements in liver function as compared to the placebo group.

Acute hepatitis can also develop into a long-lasting or permanent condition known as chronic hepatitis. One small double-blind study suggests that taurine does not help chronic hepatitis.
16
For this purpose, the herb
milk thistle
may be better.

Safety Issues

As an amino acid found in food, taurine is thought to be quite safe. There is strong evidence that taurine is safe at levels up to 3 g per day, although higher dosages have been tested without apparent adverse effects.
17
However, maximum safe dosages of taurine supplements for children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been determined.

As with any supplement taken in multigram doses, it is important to purchase a reputable product, because a contaminant present even in small percentages could add up to a real problem.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.